1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an a surgical drape used in performing a colonoscopy. Specifically, there is a colonoscopy drape that prevents secretions or aerosolization from being expelled onto the side of the drape near the physician and technicians during a colonoscopy procedure.
2. Description of Related Art
The intestine is a major part of the digestive tract. The intestine extends from the exit of the stomach to the anus. The overall shape forms a long tube divided into two main sections, the small intestine and the large intestine. The function of the intestine is to break down and absorb food and water into the bloodstream and carry away the waste products of digestion to be passed as feces.
The small intestine is about twenty one feet in length and one and one-half inches in diameter. It has three sections- the duodenum (a short, curved segment fixed to the back wall of the abdomen) and the jejunum and ileum (two larger, coiled, and mobile segments). The bile and pancreatic ducts enter the duodenum.
The walls of the intestine consist of circular and longitudinal muscles with an internal lining (the mucosa) and an external covering (the serosa). Peristalsis (the rhythmic contraction of the muscles) forces partially digested food along the intestine. The mucosa consists of many villi (small, finger-like projections) covered with millions of fronds that create a large surface area to help the absorption of substances into the blood.
The small intestine is concerned with the digestion of food and the absorption of food into the bloodstream. Some digestion occurs in the stomach, but more digestive enzymes and bile are added to the partly digested food in the duodenum. Glands within the walls of each section of the small intestine produce mucus and more enzymes, all of which help to break down the food into easily absorbable chemical units. The numerous blood vessels in the intestinal walls then carry the digested food to the liver for distribution to the rest of the body.
The large intestine is about six feet in length and two inches in diameter; it frames the loops of the small intestine. Unlike the small intestine, much of it is fixed in position, the muscles run in bands rather than forming a continuous sheet along its length.
The major part of the large intestine is the colon. The colon is a segmented tube about two and one-half inches wide and four and one-half feet long. Its segments, or haustrations, give it an irregular outline.
The colon consists of four sections: the ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid colon. The first part, the ascending colon, starts at the cecum, in the lower right-hand side of the abdomen, and extends up to a sharp bend just below the liver. This point, called the hepatic flexure, marks the beginning of the transverse colon, which loops across the abdomen, passing below the stomach to the spleen on the left-hand side of the abdomen. Here, there is a shape downward bend (called the splenic flexure) that marks the start of the descending colon. From this point, the descending colon passed down the left side to approximately the brim of the pelvis, where it adopts an S-shaped course of variable length (the sigmoid colon) to connect with the rectum at the lower left-hand side of the abdomen.
The colon is muscular tube with a lubricated inner lining. Its outermost layer, called the serous coat, is a tough, fibrous membrane with a smooth outer surface. This membrane protects the colon from damage when intestinal movements cause it to rub against the abdominal wall.
The muscular coat consists of three bands of longitudinal muscles and an inner layer of circular muscles. Peristalsis squeezes the intestinal contents through the colon.
Inside the muscular coat is the third layer, the submucous coat. It consists of connective tissue, blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels.
The innermost layer is the mucous coat, which contains numerous tubular glands. These glands produce large amount of mucus to lubricate the passage of digested material through the colon. Unlike the small intestine, the mucous coat of the colon (and the rest of the large intestine) is not folded into villi (tiny, finger-like projections).
The functions of the colon are, principally, to absorb water (and also a small amount of mineral salts) from the digested material passing through the colon and to concentrate indigestible waste for expulsion as feces.
When the intestinal contents enter the colon, digestion has been completed and the material is in the form of a liquid. As this liquid passes through the colon, the water and salts it contains are absorbed into the blood vessels in the submucous coat. By the time the intestinal contents pass out of the colon into the rectum, almost all the water has been absorbed and the contents are in the form of feces.